Anyone who drives the last few kilometers up to Bivignano quickly understands why people never forget this place. The small cluster of old houses sits in a remote corner of the Tuscan hills, more than six kilometers from the nearest village. Up here, there are no shopping streets, no hotel complexes, and no rapid mass tourism. Instead, there are wild boars, shooting stars, fireflies, horse pastures, and a stillness that has long since become rare in much of Europe.
It was in this landscape that Patricia and Stephan Wanner began their new life 18 years ago. A farmhouse in need of renovation near Arezzo gradually evolved into what is today the agriturismo "Casa Bivignano." For many guests, it has become far more than just a place to stay in Tuscany. "You arrive as a guest and leave as a friend," says Patricia Wanner. And indeed, that seems to be the very philosophy that continues to define this place. A love for Italy that started in childhood
The fact that Patricia Wanner would one day make Italy her permanent home began long before the actual
move to Italy . As a child, she spent family vacations in Cesena on the Adriatic coast. Her father, she recalls, was a greatlover of Italy . Later came Firenze and, with it, what appears to have been the final decision of the heart. "The first time I was in Florence at 16, I was completely lost to it," she remembers today. Even an old Florentine legend played a role. The famous
"Fontana del Porcellino" , a bronze wild boar in the heart of the city, is said to bring good luck and guarantee a return to Tuscany. "Why not," says Patricia Wanner with a smile.At 30, she spent a year working at an agriturismo near Florence, looking after international guests and horses. Back in Switzerland, she met her future husband Stephan, and together the two took the leap. "To be honest, we had absolutely no
savings ," she says openly. A bank provided a mortgage, and a relative helped with a loan for the down payment. "And so the story begins..."Snow, icy rooms, and the start of an adventure
The first months in Italy, however, had little to do with romanticized moving-abroad fantasies. When the couple took over the farmhouse, neither comfort nor security was waiting for them. "If we had known from the start what was in store for us, I probably wouldn't have dared to take that step," says Patricia Wanner, looking back today.
Even the move itself turned into an
adventure . Snow fell as far asNapoli , the truck had to be swapped out along the way, and temperatures inside the house hovered around freezing. There was no firewood to heat with at first. "Welcome to Italy," she says today, with a certain irony.While Stephan got the apartment ready, Patricia arrived in Bivignano in early March with friends and the two horses Gazelle and Diego. By late March, the first guests had already arrived and experienced sunshine, mild temperatures, and a sudden
snowfall within just a few hours. The agriturismo sits at around 730 meters above sea level, and the weather up here can change quickly. Despite all the adversity, Patricia Wanner sums it up: "I'm glad we dared to do it!"Everything was reinvested
What followed were years of hard work. Practically every euro earned went back into the house, the animals, and the infrastructure. A pool was built, walls were restored, the roof was renovated, additional rooms were added, and kitchens and floors were modernized. A
solar system , stables, a tractor, an excavator, and numerous fenced pastures followed as well.The animals in particular became the center of life in Bivignano. Two horses grew over time into a herd of 18, consisting mainly of Criollos from Uruguay and Argentina. Three mules,
cats , and dogs were added, including animals rescued from difficult circumstances. "We also frequently rescue animals," says Patricia Wanner. Dogs from shelters , mistreated horses, or animals that otherwise would have had little chance of survival.Time for themselves, on the other hand, was scarce. For many years, both of them also worked in Switzerland during the winter, because fewer guests came during that season while the animals still needed to be cared for. Only after a long time did they allow themselves their first vacation together. "That was a big mistake," says Patricia Wanner today about the years of constant work without
breaks .Guests who greet every tree
Many visitors have been coming to Bivignano since its early years. Some came as children and now travel there with their own families. Others pitch in, roll up their sleeves, and have long since become part of an extended circle of friends. "There are guests who greet every single tree on the way up," says Patricia Wanner. This close
bond became especially evident during the Covid years. When many small businesses across Italy were struggling to survive, guests helped out, offered support, and got involved.Perhaps it is precisely this family-like atmosphere that draws so many people. In the evenings, everyone gathers for an aperitivo, shares a meal of pasta or Tuscan dishes, and looks out over the quiet hills of the region. Instead of traffic noise, one hears crickets, wind, and sometimes horses on the pastures. Encounters with
wild boars are not uncommon either.. Wolf tracks are regularly discovered, as are porcupine quills along the trails.
The downsides of the Italian dream
Yet the story of Bivignano is not simply a romantic tale of moving to Italy. Patricia Wanner speaks openly about the difficult aspects of life in Italy, particularly bureaucratic hurdles and years of legal disputes. Shortly after the purchase, authorities demanded surprisingly large back payments related to an old barn.
Later, the agriturismo was suddenly classified as a hotel operation because of a small canopy, with serious tax consequences. "I was close to throwing it all in," she recalls. Several lawyers, court proceedings, and hefty tax demands cost the couple enormous sums and a great deal of energy. Today, both hope to settle the remaining financial obligations in full before long. Through it all, they never gave up.
Yoga, riding tours, and hikes through Tuscany
In the meantime, Bivignano's offerings have continued to evolve. In addition to classic vacation stays, Patricia Wanner organizes yoga riding weeks, trail rides, and guided hikes through Tuscany and Umbria. Some tours even extend as far as Rimini. Others follow in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi or Michelangelo through national parks, small villages, and remote landscapes.
"What could be more beautiful than hiking through a breathtaking landscape and savoring a culinary highlight in the evening?" says Patricia Wanner. This year, nine guided hikes are planned. Many guests are not looking for luxury or entertainment, but rather for nature, tranquility, and genuine encounters.
A place that teaches humility
Perhaps one sentence from Patricia Wanner best describes what Bivignano is really about: "Bivignano teaches us humility, time and again." Life up there is closely intertwined with nature. When the weather turns, water runs short, or a storm rolls over the hills, it quickly becomes clear "how small one actually is." And perhaps that is precisely why people keep coming back. Not because of perfection, but because of a sense of life that has been lost in so many places.
Or as Patricia Wanner herself puts it: "One could write whole books about it..."
Two apartments and two guest rooms
Casa Bivignano today offers two apartments and two guest rooms for a maximum of ten guests. Over the past several years, the old farmhouse and the grounds have been gradually expanded and modernized, including new kitchens and flooring, a large pergola, a pool, a modern heating system, a solar installation, as well as additional stabling and fenced pastures for the animals.